1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fishing lures, and in particular to beads with a dual-diameter bore for use in making artificial flies.
2. Related Art
Artificial flies for use with conventional fly casting gear utilize a wide variety of materials both natural and manufactured. A modern development in the design and construction of flies intended to be fished below the surface of the water is to place a brass bead over the shank of the hook but behind the eye of the hook. This gives weight to the fly which makes it sink to the desired depth. Placing the weight at the front end of the fly gives a fish-attracting jigging motion to the fly when the line is tightened and loosened by the rod tip motion of the fisherman. A metallic bead has the further capability of being polished or plated in a variety of materials and polished to a shine that attracts fish to strike.
The alternative is to wrap a lead wire around the hook shank to weight the fly, but this does not have the desired visual characteristics. Weights in the shape of small dumbbells can also be tied to the hook behind the hook eye to provide weight and color. However, these require the additional steps of being properly oriented upon the hook shank and then being securely tied in place. The metallic bead serves all of the desirable purposes in one quick and cost effective step.
Metallic beads have been used in Europe for approximately 40 years for the purpose of forming the front end of artificial flies used in the sport of angling for game fish. These fly patterns were first popularized in the United States beginning in 1990. A wide variety of beads have been used for this purpose. The vast majority of these beads are intended to be used as spacers and attractors on spinning and wobbling metal bodied lures designed to be cast and retrieved by use of spin casting tackle.
Hollow beads from the jewelry industry are frequently used as well. The hollow beads correctly fit a large number of hook styles and shank sizes but do not provide the needed weight. The brass beads used by the manufacturers of spinning lures provide the desired weight and color characteristics but the single diameter hole bored through the bead is either too large to fit up against the hook eye or too small to allow clearance for the curve of the hook.
There thus remains the need for a bead for use in constructing artificial fishing flies that has the desired weight While also being capable of both fitting on the shank of the hook without slipping over the hook eye.